


Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend

by Dorthea



Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), BAMF Peter Parker, Babysitter Peter Parker, Cute Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Day 3, Good Friend Ned Leeds, Gun Violence, Hurt Ned Leeds, Mentioned Ben Parker, Mentioned May Parker (Spider-Man), Minor Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), Morgan Stark Needs a Hug (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ned Leeds Needs a Hug, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark Friendship (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Precious Ned Leeds, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Robbery, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Whump, Whumptober 2020, Worried Ned Leeds, no. 3, number 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorthea/pseuds/Dorthea
Summary: “Are you busy tonight? I need a favor”.“Uh, kinda of. Me and Ned are going to this Star Wars event”.Tony sighs at the other end, “I hate to do this kiddo. You know I do. But there’s an SI emergency, and Pepper needs me and Happy all night. And Morgan, having started preschool, somehow picked up a bug, and May is working a shift and our call-in babysitter, isn’t available”.“And you want to know if I could stop by and keep an eyes over her” Peter finishes.Whumptober 2020. Day 3. Held at gunpoint.
Relationships: Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951294
Comments: 6
Kudos: 124
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober 2020. Day 3. Held at gunpoint.

Peter’s week had been great. Actually, it had been more than great. It had been absolutely, no doubt, upper super-duper, very much, the best week of his life, since he started Midtown.  
  
Flash had been sick, which mean that Peter got a break from the daily tormenting. Didn’t get pushed into any lockers or stolen his lunch money. No empty death threats whispered to him in class when he was better than Flash. No one who though the internship was fake, well… at least no one who wanted to feed the fire.  
  
That alone was enough to make Peter smile. It was a nice break.  
  
Things only got better by the fact that May seemed happier. Of course, Peter know she’d find something new sooner or later. That was a must, seen as how young his aunt still where. But he hadn’t expected such a difference in her way of acting.  
  
She smiled more, that was for sure. She didn’t spend the nights, when she wasn’t at work, hidden in the apartment. No, she’d go out, either with the boyfriend or one of friends from work.  
  
And okay, sure. Peter weren’t happy about the fact that May was dating Happy. Happy’s life was dangerous, that was just a fact. But Peter was just happy to see May in love, even if that meant Happy became a bigger part of their life. Even if it meant May could get hurt.  
  
And Peter couldn’t really complain either. Happy cooked, and was actually, surprisingly good at it. And Peter hadn’t gotten a good meal since Ben died, it was nice. Not that take out wasn’t okay, he loved Thai. But it got a little too much in long run. May knew that, but between work and looking out for a superpowered teenager, she didn’t have time to train her cooking skills.  
  
She did now, though. When Happy was over anyways, they would fumble around the kitchen together, Happy making comments and showing May how do this and that.  
  
And of course it was also a bonus that Happy knew how to places stitches. Sure, if smaller wounds didn’t really need it. Never had. Give him a meal and a few hours of sleep and it’d be gone. But it had felt so stupid going to the tower at half past 12 at night, to get stitches in that wound that, would likely be gone in 3 days and wasn’t life threatening. Despite that fact her knew stitches would help it to heal even faster, and allowing Peter to do more stuff, without having to worry about the wound reopening.  
  
But Happy could fix that over the dinner table after patrol the nights where he stayed over. Which, seemed to be more and more common.  
  
He’d spent both Tuesday and Thursday in Mr. Starks private lab at the tower, which Mr. Stark had bought back after whole the Thanos thing. Working on a new Spider-man suit together with Stark himself. Throwing ideas back and forth, attempting to make it even better than the old one. As well as removing the blue, and instead popping some black and white in, here and there.  
  
He’d stuck around for dinner and a movie, that Thursday afternoon as well. Morgan having begged him, to tag along the next morning so he could see which preschool she went too. And while Peter had wanted to go patrol, he’d agreed anyways. Letting Happy drive, him to Midtown the following morning.  
  
Even his patrols that week had gone perfectly.  
  
He’d saved a few cat’s from trees, helped old lady’s over the street, and stopped a robbery. But more importantly, he’d finally stopped that Mafia boos, Fisk.  
  
And to end the week, Ned had managed to get two tickets for some big Star Wars event, where some of the actors where going to be. Say hello, sign autographs, takes photos and answer questions to all the nerdy kids. Before going on stage and holding a complete panel about where they’d take things next. And maybe even a little about how it felt to come back after give years, for whole the world of Star Wars to have been turned upside down.  
  
Which would happen that very night.  
  
Ned and Peter had sat down and made a plan, for the Friday. First stop was of course an early patrol, Peter couldn’t leave Queens to suffer without a short visit from their friendly neighborhood spiderman. Then they’d meet up, fix the last piece of the cosplay they had prepared. Ned going as Obi-wan, while Peter would go as Cal Kestis from Jedi: Fallen Order. Followed by them, finding some place to eat, before going to the actually event. Despite the fact that both May and Ned’s parents had insisted they could just eat with them.  
  
But of course, the good luck only last so long, before Parker luckTM renters their lives.  
  
His, maybe halfway through patrol, Ned in his ears connected to the suit, when the call comes through. With the AC/DC ringtone, and a picture of Mr. Stark sitting in the lab, with his fancy shining metal arm, painted in red and gold like the Iron man suits.  
  
“Hey Mr. Stark. I’m kinda busy right now, I’m trying to get a cat out of a tree” Peter said as Karen let the call through. Peter having accepted, knowing that if he didn’t Mr. Stark would just force himself through anyways.  
  
Mr. Stark chuckled slightly at Peter excitement. “Are you busy tonight? I need a favor”.  
  
Peter nods to himself, as he settles hanging below one of the branches of the tree, head down. “Uh, kinda of. Me and Ned are going to this Star Wars event”.  
  
Tony sighed at the other end, “I hate to do this kiddo. You know I do. But there’s an SI emergency, and Pepper needs me and Happy all night. And Morgan, having started preschool, somehow picked up a bug, and May is working a shift and our call-in babysitter, isn’t available”.  
  
“And you want to know if I could stop by and keep an eyes over her” Peter finishes. Peter sighs. He can totally see where Tony is coming from. And while Peter could tell Tony that his plans can’t be dropped this time, he doesn’t feel good about leaving Morgan with some stranger as Babysitter either. It reminds him too much of Skip. “Alright. But, Ned can stay over, and you pay for Pizza and snakes”.  
  
“That’s a deal” Mr. Stark agrees over the phone, “Want me to buy the snakes or can you guys do that on your own?”.  
  
Peter let’s go of the web his hanging in, “It’s cool, Mr. Stark. We’ll go grab it ourselves and see you in like, an hour. We’ll be quick”.

***

So Peter swung by Ned’s place, first to change and tell Ned about the change in plans, which Ned took surprising easy. And then they where out the door, walking towards the small store at the edge of Queens. When they had spend more money on candy and snakes, when they where kids, than Peter could count.  
  
Those where good times, back with Ben and May, and the apartment where they where sitting on the living room floor, with blankets and pillows watching Star Wars all night.  
  
Eating Pizza, drinking soda. And running to the store for snakes, with May and Ben right in their tail and he and Ned ran so fast that they almost fell.  
  
Because, that was how they were as kids.  
  
After Ben’s death things had changed. Not a lot, not really. They still hung out almost every weekend. But for a while, Peter didn’t go near the shop. At least no without May by his side. Remembering to clearly, how the floor at been soaked in Ben’s blood, as Peter hold him tight. As Ben died, and left Peter to cry over his corps. Covered by the blood of his uncle.  
  
But as years went, as Spider-man became a thing, and as Tony Stark entered his life, things got better. And him and Ned started to go for snakes during late night game session in the small store again. And today was really no different.  
  
Other than the fact they weren’t going to the small apartment in Queens where Peter had once lived. Weren’t going to Ned’s house a few blocks down. No, they where going to the tower.  
  
Peter went there all the time, for weekends, lab session and sometimes just for dinner. Happy, Pepper, Morgan, May, Tony and Peter himself had become one big family over time. Rhodey too, in some ways. But Ned had only been there a handful of times. For him, it was probably better than Disney land, or the upcoming school trip to Europe.  
  
So the two boys entered the small store and turns left, past the vegetables. Turns right next to the alcohol. And then followed the small ‘hallway’ until they found the snake department.  
  
Where they grabbed a few bags of chips. Some different soda. And a pack of chocolate bars, that Peter knew Morgan loved. Before turning towards the check out zone.  
Peter had been so caught up in conversation with Ned, that his somehow missed the warnings signs. The people wearing a little to dark cloth. Hoodies pulled over their heads. Big bags ready. The people constantly looking over their shoulders. Hand close to the waist.  
  
And more importantly, Peter missed his Spidey-sense screaming at him to move.  
  
Not until it was too late.  
  
Ned was checking out, Peter by his side checking the time on his phone when two of the people in dark cloth came up behind them. Or more like ran up behind them. Pushing into Peter as they ran paste the boys. Causing Peter to stumble, and fall to his knees up against the cash registers, His head hitting one of the corners hard, making him slightly dizzy and his head fuzzy for just a moment too long.  
  
“Give us the money or we’ll shot him!” A male voice growled next to Peter, as the feel of cold metal was pressed again Peter head. “And be quick about it”.  
  
“No” Ned’s voice sounded panicked and filled with worry. “Please don’t hurt my friend”.  
  
Peter was pulled to his feet, by the front of his shirt, giving him a chance to see Ned’s panicked face, as one of the men took Ned by the arm. “Well, then maybe your volunteering” he said, pulling his gun and placing it at Ned’s head.  
  
Just the same moment, the person holding Peter let go, and left the gun. “Brave friend you got, kid”, the man said before pushing Peter back future into the store, where 2 other men where keeping track of rest of the customers. Cursing and swearing over the crying kid, barely a year older than Morgan, who was hidden by her mother’s side.  
  
Pushing Peter so deep into the store, that he couldn’t see Ned anymore. Before the man left and went back to the man at the front, holding a gun to Ned’s head.  
  
Peter tighten the grab around his backpack straps. Thinking of the red and blue spandex suit that could fix whole this situation with just a few well placed hits or a call to Mr. Stark. Thinking about his phone, too in his backpack.  
  
But he couldn’t easily get either. Unless had wanted to reveal his identity.  
  
Would that be worth it to save Ned?  
  
Peter let himself slide to the floor of the store. Ned wouldn’t want him to do that, and really Peter didn’t want to do that either. And if the cashier just had the slightest bit of brain power, she would have already opened for the cash register and allowed the men to take the money.  
  
It just might take a while.  
  
Peter knew. He’d stopped more robbery’s than he’d like to think about. Had seen more than he should have the night Ben was shot.  
  
Peter had run off.  
  
By the time Ben found him, with Peter new and faster metabolism he’d been just about to pass out. Ben had noticed of course. Had pulled Peter with him into the store, to get something for him to eat, so he wouldn’t faint on their way home.  
  
The situation had been so similar. 4 men entered, wanting money.  
  
Peter, always being too curious from a very young age as realized early on that something wasn’t right and pointed it out to Ben. It was just Parker luckTM, that one of the men heard it too. And had raised his gun. Not at Ben, but at Peter.  
  
Ben, had saved his life that night. Given his own for Peter’s. And now Ned was about to do the same thing, if Peter couldn’t stop it.  
  
He couldn’t use his powers. He couldn’t call Mr. Stark. And Peter Parker, weren’t brave or strong. He was a scared teenager, who just wanted to protect and save his friend. Like Ned. There really wasn’t an obvious way to fix things. To somehow fight or contact someone to help. He didn’t have his watch, it had been broken during a fight earlier in the week. Left at Mr. Stark lab the night before to Mr. Stark could fix it.  
  
Even if Peter did get up and fight, revealed his identity to everyone in the store, and probably the people outside too, he didn’t know for how long he’d be able to stay on his feet.  
  
He hadn’t eaten since lunch earlier in the day. Usually he’d eat a snake during patrol, but then Mr. Stark had called and Peter had to go get Ned. For just walking and getting to the tower, the snake didn’t matter right in that moment. But having the fight and therefor burn even more calories, wasn’t ideal. He could faint, collapse at any moment. And then, thing wouldn’t be any better.  
  
They should just have stuck with the original plan, and either force Tony to take Morgan along, or find some last minute babysitter somewhere else.  
  
Peter hate’s himself for thinking that. He knew what could happen if you just, brough a random person into your home to watch your kids. Hell, even if this stranger, seemed to be a nice and good person. Skip had seemed nice. Had even been Peter’s friend.  
  
“Mommy… I’m scared” the little girl with her mother kept whispering. The mother carefully shushing her, to not alert the men and make them do something stupid.  
  
Peter had been 14 when Ben was killed, yet in this moment he saw himself in the young girl, desperate to get out. Desperate to leave and never return. Scared of what might happen at any moment. Because, anything could happen. One moment she could be getting hugs from her mother, the next she could be stained in her mothers blood. Not knowing what to do, other than call for help, and pray for her to stay. To keep awake. To live. Yet the mother would only be able to look at her daughter, and hope she wouldn’t be killed as well.  
  
And Peter…  
  
Peter couldn’t let that happen.  
  
“Excuse me, sir?” Peter carefully askes, looking up at the two men. “I know this is really bad timing and all, but I really have to take my medicine. It’s right in my backpack, if you’ll just let me. And then I’ll shout up, and you can pretend I never existed”.  
  
Peter made say to make his voice weak and shaky. And while Peter wasn’t any great actor, it was good enough right now. One of the men looked to him, but gave him a sturdy silent nod that meant Peter had green light to do whatever he had to.  
  
So Peter pulled the backpack of his shoulders, carefully opening it up with shaky hand and first removing a water bottle, to make the story more believe. Who would dry swallow anyway?  
  
Before letting his hands dig deep in the backpack, with calm moves. Grabbing around the fabric of the suit, feeling his way down to the wrist and pulled off his web shooters, before letting them form around his wrists, quickly and swiftly, halfway from behind the backpack, shoot out the first web. Catching one of the guys of guard, of sticking him to a wall. Before Peter, with an acrobatic jump, got to his feet storming towards the second guys. And without even thinking about his super strength and making the punch a little milder, hit the men’s cheek and jaw, causing him to fall backwards into the floor of the store, before turning towards the other customers and placing a finger to his mouth indicating that they had to stay quiet.  
  
He then jumped to the celling, carefully crawling through the store. Slowly as to not get caught off guard by anything. Until he finally made it to the front, where Ned was still held at gunpoint. Sobbing quietly, with bloodshot eyes that told Peter, Ned was terrified.  
  
Maybe not of dying, though that might be the case too. But scared of leaving his family and friends. His little sister at home, his mother and father. Grandmother and grandfather.  
  
Peter would be too if he was in Ned’s shoes.  
  
Or would he?  
  
Peter did go out as Spider-man every night. Not caring if he got hurt or not. Hurt, or worse.  
  
“It’s really not your day is it” Peter askes from the ceiling. The men and Ned both looked up at him. The men both looked shocked and scared, while Ned seemed relieved.  
  
Peter let himself unstick from the celling, crashing down over the first guy, too hitting up on the head, causing him to pass out, and start bleeding form his now broken nose. Before shooting a web at the gun held to Ned’s head, before too shooting a web on the man’s eyes and mouth. Before webbing him to a nearby wall.  
  
Peter then ran to Ned and hugged him close. Glad to see his friend, still very much alive.

***

“Tony! We’re here” Peter calls as they leave the elevator on the penthouse floor. Tony is sitting with a sick Morgan in his lab and a phone to his ears.  
  
“They just came in the door. Let me talk to them and then I’ll get to you guys as soon as I possibly can, I swear” He says hanging up the phone. “Where the hell where you two? You said an hour, it’s been almost 2 and half!”.  
  
Peter just walks over and takes Morgan out of Tony’s arms. Ned sets down the bag of snakes on the living room table. “Let’s just say you might have to print a few NDA’s”.  
  
Tony looks almost scared. “What did you do?”.  
  
“He saved the day” Ned chimes in, “saved a shit tone of people, in a small store in Queens. Robbing. I still know how he got his web shooters”.  
  
Peter laughed lightly, “Pretended to need my medicine. I look pale enough already for it to almost be true. So someone better find some high calorie food for me, before I pass out”.  
  
Tony chuckles at that.  
  
Morgan holds Peter a little tighter and mumbles “I want to watch tangled”.  
  
“Tangled it is then” Peter agrees, “Friday?”.  
  
Ned, Peter and Morgan is asleep on the cough an hour later.


End file.
